The Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government has revealed that approximately Rs. 30 billion in pension gratuities and arrears remain unpaid, leaving over 6 lakh pensioners in distress. Minister Chandana Abeyratne highlighted that this issue has been ongoing for years, with some pension arrears dating back to 1992.
Minister Abeyratne stated that efforts are underway to clear the backlog of unpaid pensions and gratuities. Plans to address the situation include discussions with the Ministry of Finance to secure the necessary funds for the payment of these long-overdue amounts.
He emphasized that previous governments had neglected to address this issue, and as a result, many government pensioners have faced significant financial hardship. Minister Abeyratne has instructed relevant officials to accelerate the process of settling these arrears and ensuring that affected pensioners receive their rightful payments as soon as possible.
